Schmidt Glacier (Heard Island and McDonald Islands) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Schmidt Glacier
Location of Heard Island and McDonald Islands on the globe
Type	cirque/tidewater
Location	Heard Island Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands Australia
Coordinates	53°3′S 73°24′E / 53.050°S 73.400°E / -53.050; 73.400
Length	0.7 nautical miles (1.3 km)
Thickness	approximately 55 meters
Terminus	between Mount Drygalski and North West Cornice
Status	Retreating

Schmidt Glacier is a large river of ice, about 1.3 kilometers (0.7 nautical miles) long. It is located on the west side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Heard Island is part of the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, which belongs to Australia.

Schmidt Glacier flows west between two land features: Mount Drygalski and North West Cornice. This glacier is currently getting smaller, which is called "retreating."

Where is Schmidt Glacier?

Schmidt Glacier is found on the western side of Heard Island. It flows from a larger ice area called Baudissin Glacier.

To the north of Schmidt Glacier, you'll find Baudissin Glacier. To its south is Vahsel Glacier. Vahsel Glacier ends at a place called South West Bay. Right next to Vahsel Glacier, to its south, is Allison Glacier.

How Was Schmidt Glacier Discovered and Named?

Schmidt Glacier was first roughly mapped in 1902. This was done by the Gauss expedition, which was the first German expedition to the Antarctic. The expedition was led by a person named Erich von Drygalski.

Erich von Drygalski decided to name the glacier after Dr. J. Schmidt. Dr. Schmidt worked for the Royal Prussian Ministry. He helped the expedition get important support from the government.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "Schmidt Glacier (Heard Island and McDonald Islands)" (content from the Geographic Names Information System). Lua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).